A New Man In Washington

Alan A. Reich '52, recently a member of the U. S. Delegation to the World Health Assembly in Geneva, has been named a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs. This Washington job is one more achievement in an already remarkable career.

In 1952 when Al was awarded the Barrett Cup as the "outstanding member of the senior class," his achievements (senior class president, letter-winner in football and track, All-American javelin thrower, president of his fraternity, honor student in Russian Civilization, winner of a Reynolds International Fellowship) were considered only corollaries to the real reason for his selection ... his way of participating directly and honestly in each activity, plunging in with tremendous drive and a startling sense of responsibility to achieve beyond what his natural ability would promise. Limitations have never been recognized by Al Reich.

He studied at Oxford University under his Dartmouth fellowship and later received his master's degree in Russian Civilization from Middlebury College. He followed this with army service, being named "Distinguished Graduate" in the 170-man OCS class at Fort Benning. Harvard Business School awarded him an MBA in 1959 and then he joined the Polaroid Corporation of Cambridge, Mass.

In 1962, Al sustained a neck fracture in a diving accident and became a paraplegic. This has not deterred him from community service, as the result of which he received United Fund community chairman awards in 1962 and 1966 (he ran the 1962 campaign from his hospital bed) and a special citation for establishing the Greater Boston Community Chairman's Institute in 1967. Boston's YMCA Wheels program, an inner-city program for disadvantaged youth, is another of his interests, and he is chairman of its advisory committee. The National Paraplegia Foundation, a Chicagobased voluntary health agency, has been one of his major interests. He has been a director and for the past two years, president of the organization.

At the time of his State Department appointment, Al was Manager of Resources Planning for Polaroid.

Alan Reich '52 (left), recently namedDeputy Assistant Secretary of State forEducational and Cultural Affairs, is congratulated by Assistant Secretary JohnRichardson Jr. at the swearing in ceremonies at the State Department.